Gunmen kill 12, abduct 3 in Plateau mining site

At least 12 people have been killed and three others abducted following an attack by gunmen on a mining site in Atoso village, Plateau State.

The President of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, said the assailants struck late on Tuesday, adding that five other victims sustained gunshot injuries and are currently receiving treatment in hospital.

According to him, residents identified the attackers as armed Fulani militias.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Alfred Alabo, said investigations had commenced.

The attack highlights the lingering insecurity in Plateau State, one of the flashpoints in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where recurring ethnic and religious tensions have continued to trigger violent clashes between farmers and herders despite repeated government assurances of restoring peace.

Mwantiri noted that the incident occurred just days after four children were killed in a neighbouring community, accusing authorities of failing to act on early warnings.

The BYM has called on the government to urgently deploy additional security personnel to the area, enforce the ban on open grazing, and ensure the rescue of those abducted.